The Revenant Scroll
by jaderaid
Summary: “Weapons don’t kill people. People kill people.” Tenten knelt in the snow and lifted the scroll, brushing dust from its cover. “It would be a waste to just leave it, right?” Why be content to just live when you can live forever? NejiTen
1. Act I, Scene I

_Dark wind whispered through obsidian boughs, their soft shuddering masking completely the sound of pale bare feet stepping lightly and leaving not an imprint in the new fallen snow. The moon's full gaze stared down, the stars prickling like innumerable tiny daggers shone in the clear sky, but their light seemed to shy away from the one who walked that night. As its shadow passed away and the light returned, where there should have been deep depressions from its path were only the smallest pinpricks of shimmering crimson blood._

-xXx- _The Revenant Scroll_ -xXx-

(Act I, Scene I: _O'er moonlit paths_...)

The horse-drawn carriage bounced over ice and rocks hidden beneath the smothering blanket of snow. Its twin bobbing lanterns illuminated the road, though to call it a road was being generous to he who had blazed it through this dense forest in the Land of Wood. Driving the team of heavy-set horses sat an older man, gaunt with the strain of too many winters travelling the same path. Cloaked in black, he huddled further into his hood to escape the incessant and only deepening chill of their passage's biting wind.

Within the carriage, Tenten drew her bag closer to her chest and gazed out the window at the bouncing landscape just visible around the wine-colored velvet curtains matching the thin upholstery on the seats. Naught but the skeletal forms of dead trees hibernating in the cold could be seen, though the night was clear and the moon was just waning from full. Little warmer than the wilderness outside, she shivered within the carriage and pulled her gaze away to study the other occupant. One leg crossed over the other, his foot tapping impatiently in time with the horses' steady trot, Neji's pearl-hued eyes stared unwaveringly out the opposite window. Sensing the shift in her attention, he only turned his head and calmly returned her gaze.

A moment passed before Tenten finally broke away and glared out the window, muttering, "I don't like this."

Without a word, Neji waited for her to elaborate, the majority of his attention peripherally focused out his window in an almost unconscious act of perpetual suspicion of his surroundings.

"Who hires ninja to hunt a vampire? Aren't there vampire hunters who make their livings off of things like this?" she burst out, brown eyes flashing as she resumed her observation of her left and the path they were swiftly leaving behind. Her shoulder jostled uncomfortably against the dark wood as she watched the thin tracks of the carriage wheels behind them swiftly carving their path in the snow for any to see.

One shoulder lifted and fell with a shrug. "It's not a vampire," he said coolly in response. "It's probably just a murderer."

Disgruntled, she leaned back against the seat, crossing her arms. "Isn't that a job for the police, then?" she snapped, her right hand squeezing the cloth grip of her bag until the tendons showed through the fingerless leather gloves as she raised her left as if to pound it against the doorframe. "Or even _genin_?"

"You're upset that your first mission as a _chuunin_ is something that could be handled by local police?" His eyes flicked over to her fully for a moment before returning to the window.

His even question, spoken with as much authority as a statement, angered her even more. "Yes," she growled, slowly relaxing her left hand until she pressed the palm against the wood as if trying to pull in the cold to calm herself. "The mission description doesn't require ninja. A murderer who drains the blood from his victims without leaving hardly a scratch on them? Capture or kill? That's completely beneath us at this level!"

"Then it will be completed with minimum expended effort." Again, he lifted one shoulder in an indifferent shrug. "Whether or not it's a mission worthy of _shinobi_ is not our place to say. As long as we receive payment, I have no problem accepting whatever mission is given."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're boring?"

Eyebrows raised, he snorted a quick laugh. "You. Countless times."

Silence descended on the cabin, the only audible noise the rattle of the carriage wheels and the whinny of the pulling horses. The landscape rushed by in an almost ethereal blur of dead trees slowly giving way to the occasional evergreen. Drowsily, Tenten felt herself begin to nod off in the monotonous repetitiveness. Resting her chin on her hand, she roughly shook her head and muffled a yawn. The carved lines through the snow from the bouncing wheels wound endlessly back until they disappeared in the fog of the gently blowing snow. The shadow of their tracks stood out like a stranger in the stillness of the forest, a tireless pursuer.

She narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, the bag on her lap sliding unheeded to the floor. "Neji." Tenten didn't take her eyes off the steadily approaching darkness. "Something's following us. Look at the tracks."

Turning in his seat, he glanced behind and studied the tracks left from the carriage's passage. Within the grooves in the snow, what at first glance seemed merely to be a shadow roiled and was gaining ground behind them, occasionally lapping up like an unruly river to splash the sides. "_Byakugan_," he muttered, focusing all of his Chakra to his eyes and activating his _Kekkei Genkai_. His muscles tensed, and his eyes thinned. "It's moving by Chakra," he stated, closing his eyes and letting the _Kekkei Genkai_ deactivate.

"What is it?" She tore her gaze away to look at him questioningly as he didn't answer. "Neji?"

He shook his head and leaned over to unfasten the latch of the carriage door. "Driver!" he called. "We're getting out now. Continue to drive for another half-kilometer, then return for us. Understood?"

Tenten raised an eyebrow at his casual presumptuous commands to a man who hadn't even introduced himself, but the driver only nodded. "Whatever you say, _shinobi-sama_," the old man croaked over the rushing wind.

"Return for us?" she asked, eyebrow still raised as he sat back in the carriage and held the door closed.

He nodded toward her bag. "We're going to see what's following us and why. We must assume it's not friendly."

From the bag, she pulled a small scroll and nodded grimly. "Understood."

In perfect unpracticed unison, both jerked open the doors and leapt from the moving carriage. Tenten rolled in the snow to break the momentum of the fall and jump to her feet, scroll tucked securely in her belt. The carriage continued without pause, the doors banging once against the sides with a resounding crack before the latch caught, and it moved on as if nothing had happened. Communicating without words, she and Neji darted forward in a weaving zigzag as the encroaching shadow stopped and churned within the narrow groove of the carriage track. Upon closer examination, the shadow was a liquid, thick as syrup.

Sensing the buildup of Chakra within her partner, she understood that he'd again activated his _Kekkei Genkai_ and pulled her scroll from her belt with one hand, simultaneously biting the scab off her thumb. A single drop of blood fell slowly from the tiny wound as she pulled open the scroll with her free hand and her teeth, but as that insignificant droplet plummeted, the viscous twin threads of fluid veritably leapt forward in an eager bound.

"Tenten, move!" Neji concentrated Chakra in his palm and shot it like a jet of compressed air. The Chakra-laced fluid screamed upon contact and rose like two snakes, twining about another and whipping forward.

Momentarily forgotten, Tenten swiped her bloody thumb against the first symbol of her scroll, snatching the summoned _kunai_ and clenching it in her teeth. With that one hand, she threw the scroll forward to let it unravel until the proper symbol revealed itself. Several paper bombs materialized in her hand, and she let fall all but one, dropping the scroll and wrapping the exploding tag around the handle of the _kunai_. "Neji!" Trusting him to comprehend her plan, she leapt into the air, spinning in a tight pirouette to add momentum before letting the dagger fly. As soon as she released her grip, the paper bomb began to sizzle as the _kunai_ sliced through the air, embedding itself in the curiously thick fluid and driving the screaming mass to the ground. She landed and sprinted to the safety of the tress, catching a quick glimpse of Neji running opposite her to his own cover on the other side.

The flash momentarily blotted out the moon, the shockwave knocked her from her feet and hurtled her forward. A smaller explosion raced across her vision as her shoulder cracked against the trunk of a tree. Spitting out a mouthful of snow, Tenten shuddered as the shrieking wail of the liquid-creature faded into silence. Heavy droplets splattered to the ground amidst shards of destroyed _kunai_ and shattered tree branches as she pushed herself to her feet. Wincing as her shoulder complained loudly, she clutched the strained tendons and stumbled to the remains of the Chakra-thing. Already kneeling beside it, Neji's brow furrowed as he gazed into the thick remnants pooling in the crater from the explosion. "The Chakra is gone," he said as she knelt next to him. "If it were ever truly alive to begin with, it's dead now."

With a grimace, she stripped the glove from her unwounded hand with her teeth and dipped a finger in the fluid. Rubbing her finger and thumb together before her eyes and tentatively sniffing it, she frowned and looked to Neji. "It's blood," she said finally, wiping her stained fingers in the snow.

"Human or otherwise?" Not expecting an answer, Neji pulled from his equipment holster a small bottle and collected a sample, twisting the cap tightly shut. Brow raised, he remarked, "You were saying about this not being a mission fit for ninja?"

**A/N: Welcome to **_**The Revenant Scroll**_**, my latest work! I'm suffering a serious case of writer's block with **_**Itsuka**_**, so here I am, writing some NejiTen to try and regain the writing flow. This was inspired by listening to the song **_**The Revenant Choir**_** by the JRock band VERSAILLES. I'll post a link to the streaming song on my profile if anyone is interested.**

**As with all of my literary work, additional information such as deleted scenes, Q&A, and author's notes are posted on my livejournal (the link to which is also in my profile), including translation and language notes for when I venture out of English, which I will do occasionally. I hope to see you in a review; constructive criticism is extremely welcome. Even flame if you want; they're fun to read. This is my first time writing a "Gothic" setting and my first time really trying to stick to third-person objective, so I'd love feedback. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you back soon for chapter two!**


	2. Act I, Scene II

**A/N: I'm going to be referring to the Cursed _Samurai_ story arc from the filler once in this chapter... if you haven't seen it, it's filler, so you're not missing much besides Neji acting like a monkey (O-O). No, I'm not kidding. Filler went there, kids. Filler went there.**

**Something I forgot to point out earlier- I often have Neji and Tenten being referred to as _shinobi-sama_, which roughly translates to "(My) Lord/Lady Ninja"... except respectful instead of ridiculous like it sounds in English.**

**Aah, one more thing. I will freely admit that Haer'Dalis is a character from _Baldur's Gate II_ who I have warped into the character of Taro... just because I wanted to write something with Haer'Dalis. Taro's speech patterns are based off Haer'Dalis', but his character is entirely my own.**

-xXx- _The Revenant Scroll_ -xXx-

(Act I, Scene II: ..._shall ye wander far, knowledge-seeking_?)

The following afternoon's sun shone diffusely through the gaunt branches of the trees, shedding a sickly pallor over the road as the carriage rolled through the middle of the village. Tenten yawned and stretched stiff muscles, gritting her teeth as her sore shoulder yelped angrily. Outside the windows, the village was a sad sight to behold. Not many wandered the streets, and those few who dared cast frightened, wary looks around every corner.

"They've been living in fear for some time," Neji remarked, arms crossed indifferently. "You'd think one of them would have taken it upon himself to eradicate this murderer."

Tenten's lips twitched, but she said nothing as the wheels bounced over the uneven surface, winding its way up a snowy hill to the _daimyo_'s keep. An old stone castle, it cast an oppressive shadow over the entire village forcing one to squint to look up at it. "Say what you like about murderers, but after last night's attack, can't you even consider the supernatural being involved?"

He snorted derisively. "Nonsense. With thinking like that, you'll end up like the villagers out there." Jerking his chin toward the window, he shook his head and frowned. "It was just a person possessed of extremely fine Chakra control and a forbidden _jutsu_ or two."

"You think it was a ninja?" She pulled her gaze away to stare disbelievingly at him.

He met her gaze frankly. "Why not? It's more probable than vampires."

She knew him well enough to know when she was being mocked, so she simply matched his frown and returned her gaze to the castle slowly approaching them. "Look, a moat!" she exclaimed, resisting the urge to lean out the window as the carriage rolled to a stop, awaiting the lowering of the drawbridge.

Neji wasn't going to let the conversation drop so easily. "Why do you persist in believing it is the supernatural?"

"Why do you persist in believing it isn't the supernatural?" she threw his question back in his face.

Crossing his arms triumphantly, he said two words, a smirk edging at his lips. "Cursed _samurai_."

She scoffed. "Selective memory, have we?" Leaning forward, elbows on her knees to rest her chin on her fists, she tilted her head. "We never did find out if there was an actual ghost or not. Furthermore, if you're going to refer to that mission–"

"Uh, pardon me, _shinobi-sama_," the driver awkwardly interrupted with a cough, twisting in his seat so his voice could be heard through the small window. "But we have arrived."

"Finally!" Undoing the latch, Tenten swung open the door to find herself face-to-face with three simply-dressed young women, all staring respectfully at the dark grey cobblestones set in the ground, made of the same material as the castle itself. "...Can I help you?"

"My lady," her voice high and slightly trembling, the girl in the front, perhaps a year or two younger than Tenten's own seventeen years, bowed deeply and wrung her hands before her. "Um, we are to be your attendants during your stay here at the keep."

"Attendants?" Taken aback, Tenten almost jumped back in the carriage. "Sorry, but I don't need servants."

"Oh, don't worry miss, we'll be sure stay out of your way, don't you worry 'bout that!" the girl hastened to add, her hand-wringing increasing.

She blinked and fought the urge to look for help. "Um, that's not what I was worried about..." Trailing off, Tenten gave up and turned back toward the carriage, only to see Neji standing beside the carriage with his arms crossed while several similarly-attired boys climbed the carriage roof to snatch his bag. He caught her eye and offered a minute shrug. "Fine," she conceded, moving aside as the girls nearly tripped over themselves to fetch her bag.

"Please, follow me." The lead girl bowed again and gestured toward the castle's doors. The twin wooden doors were perhaps only half the size of one of Konohagakure's massive gates, but to stand directly before them as they opened made them no less imposing. "I will escort you to your quarters now."

"When are we meeting with the _daimyo_?" Neji interjected, his impatience thinly veiled as he stalked over to his partner. "We were attacked on our way here."

The girl to whom Tenten had been speaking swallowed hard and averted her eyes, gesturing for Tenten to follow her, leaving one of the boys alongside Neji to answer, "Soon, sir. Now please, come with me." The younger boy pointed in almost the opposite direction than Tenten's servant had.

Upon hearing their footsteps start in a different direction, Tenten stopped walking and turned back. "Wait, you're separating us?" Suspicious, she crossed her arms and glared. "I don't think so."

The servant girl looked deeply shocked. "But my lady, women cannot share the same living space with men!"

Her right eyebrow twitched slightly. "In case you've forgotten, we're the _shinobi_ that your _daimyo_ hired. If something happens in the middle of the night, I need to know where my partner is. I'd prefer to be _with_ my partner."

"But propriety–!"

"Propriety be damned!" Fuming, Tenten refused to back down. Perhaps it was the uncomfortable ride in the carriage, perhaps it was the throbbing pain in her shoulder, perhaps it was simply the restless few hours' sleep she'd managed to steal, but she had no desire to stand and argue with a girl who had no idea of what was going on around them.

"But the men–!"

Her eyebrow twitched again. "If you don't think I can protect myself from a few boys, than you shouldn't have hired me to hunt down your vampire!"

"My lady, please." Placing a careful hand on her shoulder, the boy to whom Neji had been speaking leaned close to her ear so no one else could hear. "You will not be able to win this fight, but keep in mind that where your bags lie may not necessarily be where _you_ lie."

Surprise darting through her eyes, Tenten turned to face the other boy, who only offered a quick wink and a bow, his deep green eyes twinkling as if they now shared a secret. "I shall tell yon lord to expect you this eve," he added slyly as he turned away.

Unsure of whether to thank the boy or not, she simply sighed and turned back to her servants. "Lead the way," she ordered as if defeated. "But I need to know where he is."

"As do I." Silent for the exchange, Neji cast a warily curious gaze over the boy who'd spoken to her.

"We shall see to it," the boy promised, speaking to Neji yet bowing to Tenten. "If you'd follow me then, sir?"

Reluctantly, the two allowed themselves to be led in different directions within the castle; Tenten to the Eastern Tower, Neji to the West. The corridors were conspicuously empty, yet the servant girls rushed Tenten up the winding stone stairs as if there were a multitude of fiends in pursuit. They did not speak, simply ushered her along past gorgeous tapestries and scrolls adorning the otherwise bare stone walls, constructed of the same type of rock as the hard floor. Her boots echoed loudly against the granite in sharp contrast to the almost silent whisper of the girls' soft shoes. The tapestries soon began to give way to simple wooden doors spaced at regular intervals.

Pulling an old key ring from her pocket, the lead girl (Tenten had dubbed them Girls A, B, and C as they showed no signs of giving their names), Girl A, selected a large skeleton key and fitted it to the lock. Large and clumsy, Tenten could have picked it with both hands bound to her ankles, but accepted the offered key anyway, revealing a room with a décor completely opposite what she'd seen so far.

"Does it meet your approval, my lady?" Anxiously, Girl C spoke for the first time. Slightly shorter and smaller than the other two, she refused to look up from the floor or speak much above a whisper. Girl C reminded Tenten of a mouse, or a rabbit, but after further contemplation, she decided she looked most like a dog expecting to be punished.

Glancing around the room, Tenten nodded with no small amount of wonder. Plush crimson carpeting lined the floor, interrupted only by the four-poster-bed piled high with blankets and pillows, canopied with curtains of elegant red velvet. It was a room fit for the spoiled daughter of a _daimyo_.

"Ichiru-_dono_ demanded that the finest materials in all the land be obtained for the _shinobi-sama_," Girl C continued hesitantly. "If it is not to your taste, I shall arrange another room."

"No, no," Tenten hastened to reassure her. "It's perfect, thank you." Inwardly, she cringed. It was little too elegant and pretentious for her taste, she had to admit, but wouldn't say so; it looked as though Girl C was going to commit _hara-kiri_ if she didn't like it.

Girl C smiled and exchanged a conspiratorial glance with the other two. "In that case, _shinobi-sama_, since it meets your approval," she continued softly. "We have to take your measurements."

"No _shinobi-sama_." Tenten waved a hand dismissively and grimaced as her until-then forgotten bruised shoulder twinged. "My name is Tenten and– pardon?" Blinking twice rapidly, she tilted her head and stared at Girl C. "What did you just say?"

With a squeak, Girl C ducked behind Girl A. "Your measurements," Girl A repeated firmly as Girl B shut the door behind them. "Ichiru-_dono_ has declared there be a ball held to celebrate the arrival of the _shinobi-sama_. You will need a dress by tonight. We need to measure you now."

Glancing behind and seeing the convenient avenue of escape closed behind her, Tenten laughed nervously and held her hands up before her. "No, no, thank you ladies, but I am in no need of a dress, thank you! I really need to discuss mission parameters with my partner..."

Girl B loomed dangerously behind her. "It is the divine command of Ichiru-_dono_," she growled. "You must not refuse. _Shinobi-sama_."

In the Western Tower, Neji was suffering considerably less difficulty with his attendants, young boys who seemed more than eager to please. The oldest of the three, the green-eyed, mischievous Taro who seemed to be the highest-ranking of the three from the way he carried himself, escorted Neji with all the poise of one who'd been trained since birth in diplomacy. "My father wanted me to be an ambassador," he confessed, leading Neji down a corridor almost identical to the one down which Girl A had led Tenten. Adjusting his soft felt hat, he offered a conspiratorial grin as he lowered his voice. "To tell the truth, I've always wanted to be a priest, but the vows of celibacy weren't for me.

"So now..." he trailed off, dramatically raising his hands to the air and spinning on one foot. "I am going to be... a player, an actor! My stage name... _Haer'Dalis!_"

"Ah," was all Neji responded with. As they walked, he was memorizing the route and examining possible escape plans. Not because he actually needed to for this hall. Because it was far more interesting and useful than the information being imparted to him by this boy.

"'Ah!' is right!" Snapping his fingers, Taro stopped in his tracks and whirled around. Neji reflexively took a step back at the other boy's casual invasion of his personal space, hands twitching in reflex, his big green eyes staring earnestly into Neji's pale pearl orbs, lowering his voice dramatically as if conveying a great secret. "I almost forgot! The beautiful and bewitching _shinobi-sama_ wished for me to convey to you her plans to come to you this very eve," he waggled his eyebrows and offered a conspiratorial grin.

"Tenten?" He nodded once. "Good, we'll need to go over blueprints of the keep and surrounding village. Can you obtain those for us?"

"..." Taro blinked once and sighed heavily. "My friend, _shinobi-sama_, with all possible respects implicitly implied, may I state that you are boring?"

The tiniest hint of a smile passed over his face as he shook his head ruefully. "Tenten says that often."

"Well, yon raven is right!" Taro shook his own head with exaggerated dismay. "As we walk, _shinobi-sama_, tell me of the beautiful princess captive within yonder East Tower."

"I would rather discuss what is going on here," Neji responded coolly. "I intend to complete this mission as soon as possible. I need to see the locations of the victims and–"

Shaking his head again, Taro frowned regretfully. "I am truly sorry, _shinobi-sama_, but this poor sparrow cannot. My orders are to escort you to your quarters and... ah, what is a kinder word for 'confine'?"

"Confine?" Concern and suspicion warring for supremacy in his voice, he glared at the boy and stopped in his tracks. "Why?"

"There shall be a great feast this eve." Taro had dropped his dramatic airs and now spoke only as a boy, bluntly and honestly. "Ichiru-_dono_ most likely doesn't wish anyone to interrupt his preparations. But truly, it is really more of–"

"Taro." One of the other boys who hadn't yet spoken shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around warily. "Shut your mouth before someone hears you."

Unhappily, Taro nodded and resumed walking, neutrally extending his hand before him with a short bow. "Please, _shinobi-sama_, this way." As the other boys took the lead, Taro dropped back just enough to murmur, "I shall obtain for you the blueprints, _shinobi-sama_, fear not. I, for one, have no qualms about catching this killer.

Neji understood that was all he was going to get from this boy while the others were around, and followed in silence. There was definitely more going on here than was visible to the eye. It was almost as if a thousand tiny threads were slowly raveling around him to enmesh him in this web of murder and deceit.

**A/N: Thanks to my reviewers, _Under a Rain Cloud, spohia666, C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only, The Prince, _and _weaponmistressbunny_. Thanks, I love you all!**


	3. Act I, Scene III

**A/N: I've uploaded Scenes III and IV at the same time because, if I were splitting this into actual "chapters" instead of scenes, they would be included together.**

-xXx- _The Revenant Scroll_ -xXx-

(Act I, Scene III: _Alas, seeker! Burning pages crumble like the bridges ye've crossed_...)

Tenten sighed and fought the urge to scowl as she smoothed the folds of her delicate silk dress and took the offered seat at the banquet table from the servant. Rubbing her bare arms, she shivered slightly and adjusted the top of the strapless dress, plain white but for a Chinese-style dragon embroidered in gold trailing up the left side. The polished mahogany table, bare but for expensive dinner settings, had yet to be occupied by most of the nobility milling around the hall. Ornate chandeliers lined the ceiling, their multitude of candles gleaming from the fragile porcelain and glassware adorning the table. Soft strains of music drifted through the muffled chatter, weaving in and out of the crowd as the small orchestra in the corner tuned their instruments.

With a delicate touch, she lifted the small card atop her plate, examining the gold filigree tracing her name in an elegant script. The harsh _katakana_ of her name stood out sharply against the cream background in comparison to the graceful flow of Neji's name on the card adjacent; though his first name was spelled with the same alphabet as her own, the _kanji_ for his clan name softened the severe corners.

"My raven!" She flinched and half-turned at the outburst, hand dropping reflexively to the _shuriken_ holster concealed in the folds of her dress, hidden beneath a slit from the hem to the thigh, masked by the subtle flow of the fabric. Managing at the last second to check her response and turn it into a simple smoothing of the material, she stared suspiciously at the young man approaching her with his arms outstretched before recognizing him as the boy who'd spoken to her earlier. Over his shoulder, she caught a glimpse of an annoyed Neji and a frantically gesturing servant following in his wake. "Ah, how mine heart rejoices at the sight of–"

"Taro-_sama!_" The servant, wheezing slightly with the effort of keeping up with the young man's long strides, stopped and bowed respectfully as he turned toward him. "Your brother desires your presence at his side during the banquet!"

With an over-exaggerated sigh, Taro simply stated, "Ichiru-_dono_ ordered me to escort our guests. I am doing so. Please convey to him my previous obligation with an apology that I cannot be present at his right hand."

"But my prince–"

He winced and shook his head. "Thank you, but my decision is final. Please convey my apology." Without another word to the servant, he took Neji's name card and shifted it down one, handing the card it replaced to the servant and sliding into the seat beside Tenten.

Card in hand, the servant snapped a short bow and stalked to the head of the table, switching it with the card to the right hand of the _daimyo_'s seat.

"You're the brother of the _daimyo_?" Tenten's eyes widened. "I thought–"

"That this sparrow was a mere serving boy?" Lifting his empty wine glass, he saluted her with a grin. "Nay, my raven– as I was telling yon lord, I was unfortunate enough to be born to such an unimaginative berk that I was only given the simple name Taro in comparison to that of Ichiru_-dono_, though it would set this sparrow's heart aflutter to hear his true name of Haer'Dalis come from his raven's soft lips."

"Aah..." Tenten trailed off and shook her head. "Forgive me, my lord, but such a name is quite beyond the grasp of my simple tongue."

Horrified, Taro shook his head wildly. "I pray thee, do not mash thy lips on these humble boots, my raven!"

"Oh, shut up," Neji growled, sliding into his seat and folding his name card without a second glance. "If I hear one more word about ravens or sparrows or _pigeons_, I will personally ensure that you become the exclusive ambassador to Konohagakure."

Clutching his hands to his heart, Taro mimed collapsing back from a fatal wound. "My lord, you wound me! Condemned to such an insipid fate as that? Why, such is a welcome laid for Oblivion!"

Ignoring him completely, Neji leaned over him to speak to his partner. "What equipment do you have with you?"

Eyes twinkling, Tenten grinned and turned toward him, Taro shifting back a bit to allow him to see. Fingering her long, dangling crystal earrings, she announced, "Flash bombs." Touching the ebony needles holding her hair back in an artfully messy bun, "_Senbon_." Her fingers trailed down her neck to rest on the simple crystal pendant just above the swell of her breasts. "Smoke bomb." Crossing her legs, she pulled aside the fabric to reveal her _shuriken_ holster strapped to her thigh, then slipped off her _geta _sandals to expose an exploding tag hidden on each. With a shake of her wrist, she presented a bracelet. "Piano wire." Wiggling her normally unadorned fingers, she displayed a ring on her right hand with the simple explanation of, "Cyanide capsule." Finally, she tucked a thumb under the low cut of her dress and almost nonchalantly added, "Weapons scroll in case I need anything else."

"Ah," Neji remarked drily, shaking his head in half-disbelief, half-admiration as Taro stared speechless.

"I'm a _kunoichi_. What do you expect? You think they gave me the title "Weapons Mistress" because I look pretty holding a sword?" Raising an eyebrow in amusement, she daintily pulled her chair in and sat ramrod straight; the perfect picture of a lady, to which Neji only shook his head helplessly and took a sip from his water glass. "This is nothing."

Taro leaned in to whisper as an aside, "This sparrow see why ye like yon raven so much, my lord."

"What?" he sputtered, eyes wide, coughing as the water went down the wrong way.

"One actor can always spot another," was all he said with a wink as Tenten stared questioningly. Laying a familiar hand on her shoulder, he leaned in and gestured. "Look ye well, my raven, for there is your esteemed client, Ichiru-_dono_."

Several servants emerged and began to douse the lamps lining the walls around the table, leaving only the chandeliers on the ceiling and the candles spaced evenly for illumination as the _daimyo_ strode from the open doors at the end of the hall, nodding and smiling pleasantly. Tenten tilted her head and studied him carefully, filing away his fine, Western-style black suit and short-cropped dark hair for future reference. As he passed, he glanced and the table and paused for an instant, vivid emerald eyes meeting hers for the briefest of seconds. Inexplicitly, her heart jumped within her chest, eliciting a sudden gasp. As the rest of the hall watched, nobles whispering to each other, the _daimyo_ of the Land of Wood faced her fully and offered a slow, deep bow before continuing on his way to the head of the table.

Tenten sat back dumbly, pressing a hand to her heart. "He doesn't look any older than you, Neji," she breathed, oblivious to the jealous glares of the rest of the noblewomen.

"Hmph." Neji unfolded his napkin and ignored her.

"I mean, what is it with these small-country _daimyo_ and being young and gorgeous?"

"Don't forget that one in the Land of Birds you liked so much was a woman."

Taro ignored their bickering and studied his brother at the head of the table. "Nearly five and twenty winters has Ichiru-_dono_ seen," he mentioned conversationally, cutting through their rapidly-heating discussion. "Yet he looks to have no more than three added to this sparrow's ten-and-six."

"What?" Astonished, Tenten stared at the head of the table as the _daimyo_ seated himself and waved for the servants to begin serving. "Really?"

"That makes him almost ten years older than you." Neji crossed his arms and smirked as she glared.

"But he looks so young..."

"Aye, unnaturally so, one would think." Taro unconcernedly plucked an _hors-d'oeuvres_ from the center of the table and popped it in his mouth. "Oh, he wants to give a speech," he managed, voice muffled as he hurriedly swallowed. "Can't he just let us eat and be done with it?"

Rising to his feet, Ichiru clapped his hands for everyone's attention. The hall descended into a reverent silence as elegantly-attired nobles turned to give him their respect. "My lords and ladies, welcome." Tenten felt her heartbeat racing as his smooth, deep voice seemed to reverberate in her very soul, and she leaned forward, enraptured. "I hope you will enjoy the feast my attendants have prepared for you, for this banquet to celebrate the eminent solstice."

Polite applause rang through the hall. Neji's unenthusiastic slow clap was more than compensated for by his partner's, while Taro busied himself by looking like he was in the middle of drinking some water and missed the opportunity to add to the applause.

"However, before I release you to your meals, I would like to announce something of paramount importance." Without looking to the table, he raised his wine glass. "The _shinobi_ I have hired to assist my guards in catching this vile murderer have arrived. Please, welcome Hyuuga Neji-_sama_ and..." He trailed off for a second, and his eyes met hers. "Tenten-_sama_." Without taking his eyes off hers, he sipped his wine and smiled. "I have the utmost confidence in you."

More applause rang through the hall, but Tenten was too shocked to move. "Did you see that?"

"Yon raven..." Taro waved a hand before her face as her salad was laid before her.

Neji snorted rudely. "You're a _kunoichi_, not a love-struck schoolgirl."

"Shut up!" She jabbed her fork in her salad and ignored him. "Maybe it would be fun to be a queen. I could be the lady of a _daimyo_ if I really wanted."

"Oh really?" With another disbelieving snort, Neji forked some of his own salad in his mouth, turning to her with his eyebrow raised.

"You doubt?" Instead of being offended, Tenten took it as a challenge. "I'm a _kunoichi_, Neji. We have our ways." She paused for a moment, then her grin turned wicked. "Haer'Darisu, switch seats with me for a few minutes. I have a point to make."

"Aye, my raven." Taking his plate with him, Taro slid over as she stood. "Though your pronunciation is atrocious, the effort is indeed most welcome."

"Aah!" With uncharacteristic clumsiness, she tripped over his foot and almost fell. Alarmed, Neji moved to catch her, grabbing her arms and nearly receiving a face full of cleavage in return. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she gushed, eyes wide and vulnerable as she took her seat. "I didn't mean to fall like that..." Biting her lip uncertainly, she offered her hand without looking. "My name is... Tenten."

Playing along, he took her hand and shook it. "Hyuuga Neji."

Bashfully, she smiled and took his hand in both of hers, drawing it close to her chest. "It's nice to meet you, Neji-_san_." Looking up, her lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears. "I don't mean to be terribly forward, but... could you walk me home? It's dark, and the streets are full of scary things." She pressed his hand closer to her chest, making sure it just barely touched her breast. "Please?'

Shocked, he tried to extricate his hand. "Tenten!" A deep flush spread across his cheeks as he tugged his hand away, only to find that his salad plate had been replaced with the first course.

"Brava!" Taro clapped and switched back to his seat between them, careful to keep his feet away from her this time.

Her laughter ringing through the room, she released his hand and shifted back to her seat. "You didn't notice anything around you but me, right?" A satisfied smirk spread across her face as she crossed her legs and picked up her fork, wiping conjured tears from her eyes. "So tell me, would you have taken the poor damsel home... if you weren't a ninja?"

He grunted noncommittally. "Probably."

"Walked her to the door?"

"Hn."

"Accepted her offer for a light snack before leaving?"

"_Hn_."

"But, granted, we are _shinobi_ and trained to keep alert for such obvious ploys." Talking with her mouth full, she pointed with her fork. "That's the most basic of strategies taught, and you were falling for it. I personally hate that one, but it's easy and will work on both young men and older men. Young men will see an opportunity, and older men will see someone to protect. For a _shinobi_, it would require much more subtlety and more time."

"What does that entail, pray tell?" Genuinely interested, Taro was obviously taking notes for his future acting career.

She grinned and shifted her gaze to him as she swallowed. "I can't show you. You'd end up falling for me."

His eyes sparkled with barely contained mirth. "For some reason, my raven, the idea doesn't seem too abhorrent. From one actor to another, allow me to express my admiration for your role."

"The Yamanaka girl tried something like that on me during our first Chuunin Exam." Neji closed his eyes and snorted. "It was pathetic."

"Keep in mind she was twelve," Tenten pointed out as this course was taken and replaced. "There's a very narrow window of time when a _kunoichi_ can effectively employ these techniques."

The rest of the meal passed in simple conversation; Taro told stories of his misadventures as an unwilling noble, Tenten and Neji spoke of their time at the Academy and on missions... specific details withheld, of course. The time passed quickly until a full hour had passed, and as they finished dessert, various couples began to stand and make their way to the dance floor.

Neji set his spoon down and stood, ignoring the questioning glance of his partner and attendant. "Tenten." As if it were the most natural action, he bowed to her. "Shall we?"

One eyebrow raised, she daintily wiped her lips with her napkin and smoothed her face into an impassive mask. "Certainly, sir." Piling her napkin on her plate, her lips twitched with amusement in spite of herself as she set her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to the floor rapidly filling with nobles and their escorts. "What is it you have to talk about without Taro around?" she asked quietly, leaning in so there was no chance of being overheard.

Wordlessly, Neji simply spun her into the swirl of dancers, casually resting one hand on her hip and keeping his other hand on hers. "Is it so hard to believe that I wouldn't just want to dance with you?"

She giggled and grinned at him. "Yes. Yes it is."

Snorting through his nose, the closest to a laugh she had ever heard him come, he closed his eyes and shook his head before quickly sobering. "Were you locked in your room?"

Jerking her gaze from those around, she stared up into his eyes. "What?"

"I have been locked in my quarters with Taro since we arrived." The strains of the music temporarily shifted, and Tenten spun gracefully before resuming the dance. "I didn't know you could dance."

"_Kunoichi_, remember? I could say the same for you." A grin failed to cross her face as she glanced around the room again. "While I wasn't locked in _per se_, Girls A, B, and C did insist on measuring me for a dress and keeping me otherwise occupied." She hissed through her teeth. "I didn't even think of it like that. What reason could the _daimyo_ have for not letting us investigate?"

"Noble clan," Distaste colored his voice for the briefest of seconds as he answered her previous comment before returning to business. "What reason, indeed?"

"And Taro. Do you trust him?"

His eyes studied her face carefully. "Do you?"

"Do I trust anyone?" Tenten laughed self-depreciatingly.

"Hm." Neji conceded the point with a fleeting smile.

"What should we do now?"

"We should split up," Neji said more quietly so as not to be overheard by any around as he noted the approach of Taro, "and speak to the various nobles about their opinions of the murders. The murderer may very well be one of them."

Tenten nodded her agreement and caught where his attention was focused. "I'll take the young, cute rich men." To Neji's annoyed frown, she shrugged matter-of-factly. "They'll be more willing to talk to me. What man can resist talking to an interested girl about something he knows all about?"

"Speaking of young, cute rich men who can't resist talking..." As the orchestra picked up a different tune, Taro stood before them and bowed. "This sparrow would be honored to join in flight with you, if you know how."

"I would love to!" Tenten pulled away from Neji with a meaningful glance, to which he offered a slight nod. As he moved away, she shivered as he pulled his hands back, having grown accustomed to their warmth on her skin.

"You did truly miss your calling, my lady." His hands around her waist, Taro expertly guided them around the floor, grinning as he stared into her eyes. "You would have been a phenomenal player, and the stage suffers unknowingly, deprived of your presence. Yon lord may yet fall for you."

A giggle burst from her lips as she stared incredulously. "Neji? You're kidding, right?"

"If ye employ yon tricks as earlier..."

"No!" She almost stopped in mid-dance before resuming her previous pace. "I wouldn't want to deceive someone I actually care about."

"Damn!" Snapping his fingers, he sighed in mock defeat and turned to an imaginary audience, whispering as if an aside, "And here was I hoping the beautiful raven would use her tricks on me!" He spun her in time with the music and indicated something over her shoulder with his chin. "However, yon lord may come to you, and what will you do, my raven?"

She glanced behind her quickly to catch a glimpse of him bowing slightly to a noblewoman and engaging her in conversation. "Neji doesn't see me as anything other than a teammate, don't be ridiculous." Her previous good mood inexplicably dissolving, she offered a sigh. "I don't even know if he sees me as a friend."

"Do not despair, my raven!" Taro tilted his head to catch her eye and grin. "Yon lord, though a stoic one, does have a heart."

"How would you know?"

He jabbed himself in the chest triumphantly. "Actor, remember? One can recognize another."

Head tilted, she opened her mouth to ask a question, but before she could speak, she felt Taro's hands tense against her body. Tenten turned at the faint look of disgust on his face.

"Little brother," Ichiru greeted warmly, his shoes making not the slightest sound as he approached. Tenten immediately felt her blood start to pound, almost feeling light-headed from the rush.

"Ichiru-_dono_." Executing a sharp, formal bow, Taro released his hold on her and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Is there something you want?"

"Why do you never call me 'brother', little brother?"

"Did you come only to speak of family matters? In that case, Ichiru-_dono_," Taro smiled ingratiatingly. "I shall respectfully ignore you."

Ichiru laughed, a low, smooth chuckle that made her heart flutter. "May I borrow your dance partner then, little brother?"

Quickly removing her hands, Tenten clasped them before her and bowed, holding it for perhaps a little longer than necessary. "I would be honored, my lord."

Reluctantly releasing her, Taro bowed shortly and left without a word, disappearing into the crowd. She barely noticed as the _daimyo_ took her hand and, with a small smile, led her into the swirl of dancers. Pulling her close to him, he murmured in her ear, "You surely do bring all the beauty of the Land of Fire to my humble keep, Tenten."

She smiled and glanced down, heart fluttering with barely contained excitement. "You are much too kind, my lord."

"I do not exaggerate," he protested smoothly, eyes twinkling conspiratorially. "If you are half as deadly as you are beautiful, I have no need to fear this murderer."

"Speaking of–" She cleared her throat and forced herself to return to her true reason for being there. "I have some questions about this mission, my lord, if you don't mind. The request Konoha received was rather vague as to–"

A faint grimace crossed his face at the mention, and he slowed their dance to a stop. "Not in here," he muttered, taking her by the hand and staring earnestly into her eyes. "There are too many over-curious ears here. Please, come with me."

"Of course." Taking a deep breath, she shifted to grasp his offered hand and let him lead her across the dance floor to a simple stone door set in the wall. Nodding her thanks as he held it open, he followed her through and closed it swiftly behind him before any could note their absence.


	4. Act I, Scene IV

**A/N: For those who don't make a habit of trying to memorize the names of the techniques in Japanese, **_**Hakke: Rokujuuyonshuu**_** I think was officially translated as, "Divine Palm: 64 strikes."**

-xXx- _The Revenant Scroll _-xXx-

(Act I, Scene IV: ..._but stoke those pages and find yon truth amidst the ashes._)

Tenten tentatively stepped forward, her eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light of the waning moon glinting off the snow far below the wide stone veranda, and she shivered in the winter chill.

"Cold?" Ichiru carefully shut the door behind them and placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the thick stone railing.

She sucked in a deep breath at his touch, the warmth seeming to spread from his hand through her entire body, not unlike when she had danced with Neji. "No, not at all."

"Here." With a small smile, he removed his black suit jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, drawing her close to him. "I can't let you catch a chill, now can I?"

"My lord..."

"Ichiru," he whispered, staring into her eyes. "There's no need to stand on formality with just the two of us."

Her breath caught in her throat, and she looked away, feeling her heart pounding. "You... were going to tell me about the murders?" Voice hoarse, she glanced back and felt an electric thrill run through her.

Ichiru sighed and closed his eyes, turning to rest his elbows on the rampart. "Must we speak of such a distasteful subject already? I had wanted to spend some time with you. Do you think..." Startling vulnerability shone through in his eyes as he turned to look at her. "...for just a few moments, we could pretend that I'm not a _daimyo_, and you are not a _shinobi_? Like one of those ridiculous amateur stage performances my brother is infatuated with?"

"You don't like... being _daimyo?_" she asked softly, laying a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to offer some small comfort as her heart went out to him.

He laughed and shook his head, staring at the snow-covered skeletons of the trees. "It's a lonely, bitter existence," he confessed. "Everyone is either envious of my position or contemptuous of my young age. Still..." With a smile, he reached up and took her hand. "It's been easier, somehow, talking with you. This is the most at ease I've been in... many years."

"I know that feeling." It was her turn to laugh self-depreciatingly, mirroring his position against the rampart. "I have to be constantly on my guard, too."

"Then we have something in common." He turned toward her and studied her face's silhouette against the moon. "Tell me, you could kill me where I stand with the barest effort, yes?"

She laughed again and blinked innocently, gazing up at him and sitting upon the rampart. "Do you really want an honest answer to that?"

"Hmm. Perhaps not." He joined in her laughter and jumped to sit beside her. His rich, deep chuckle set her nerves at ease, even as he reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I had just wanted to know the punishment I would receive for doing... this." His hand lingered beside her face, and she felt an electric thrill tingle through her as he gently pulled her in. Her heart raced, blood rushing through her body as she closed her eyes and let her lips part.

Soft and gentle, his lips met hers, and she inhaled sharply at the burst of heat that exploded through her entire body. Purely by instinct she pressed herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck even as his other hand slid under his jacket to grasp her shoulder. "This is not," she gasped as they finally broke apart, "what I usually do with someone I've just met, let alone a client..."

"I'm honored," he breathed as she leaned into him, his fingers tracing blindly down her bare shoulder as the jacket fell to the ground. Their second kiss was rougher, more passionate as his hands trailed down her body and stroked the tiny strip of bare flesh on her thigh from the dress's slit. She moaned and pressed in deeper as his fingertips grazed her inner thigh, breaking free only to kiss him again. His kiss was intoxicating, and like a bird drawn to a poisoned fount she kept coming back again and again until at last he lifted her up and carried her across the veranda to a pillowed metal divan, setting her down and climbing beside her.

"I... really don't usually do this–" She broke off with a started gasp and tensed as his fingertips lightly brushed the top of her dress as he leaned over her and pressed his knee between her legs, eliciting an agonized groan.

His emerald eyes dark, he hovered with his lips just over hers, backlit by the moon. "Do you want me to stop?" he whispered huskily.

Her heart pounded in her chest, so hard she was sure he could feel it through his hand. In response she relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close for another kiss. His hand trailed softly down her chest to lightly caress her breast through the thin silk. Reflexively her back arched as she moaned, pressing more fully into him as he gently pulled her weapons scroll from between her breasts and discarded it carelessly, slipping his hand beneath the fabric. Gasping for breath, she could only close her eyes and shudder as his lips traced down her face to her neck and his hand squeezed her breast. "Do you want," he whispered, running his tongue down her neck to her collarbone, "to live forever?"

"Tenten!" Neji's voice broke through the clear night, the stone door slamming open.

She opened her eyes at the sound and screamed, hand fumbling to her head and the _senbon_ needles. Sharp fangs gleamed in the moonlight as Ichiru glanced up, emerald eyes flashing. He rolled to the ground as Neji's _kunai_ whistled through the air just over her and grinned, revealing his fangs clearly even as she scrambled to her feet, _senbon_ in hand, and slashed at his belly.

His deep, mellow laugh rang out again as Ichiru faded into grey smoke, the blade passing intangibly through him. "A pity, my lady," he offered as he disappeared. "I was quite enjoying our time together."

"Raven!" Taro dashed through the doorway, a short sword in hand. "My–"

"Tenten!" Neji shouted again, dropping the second _kunai_ he had ready in his hand and running forward as she collapsed to the ground, shaking and holding the _senbon_ before her. "Tenten, are you alright? What happened?" With a single glance he took in her swollen lips and disheveled clothes, and his eyes narrowed. "What did he do to you?" he growled, crouching and reaching to put a hand on her shoulder.

She screamed again and hurled the _senbon_, scrambling away with her other arm wrapped around her chest. "Don't touch me!"

Neji tilted his head to let the weapon slice the air beside him. "Tenten, snap out of it! It's me! Neji!"

Her breath came in frenzied gasps as she shuffled back, blindly fumbling for a _kunai_ from her _shuriken _holster with one hand, hair tumbling from its bun as she blindly threw_ senbon_ with the other. "Stay back. Don't touch me..."

"Tenten!" Hastily falling into his _Hakke: Rokujuuyonshuu_ stance, he batted the weapons from the air. "Tenten, listen to me!"

His eyes wide, Taro's eyes flicked between the two _shinobi_ and the tumult growing within the banquet hall before sheathing his sword and venturing back through the door. "Nay, my lords and ladies, everything is fine! Please, return to your festivities, there is no cause for alarm!" Disappearing back inside, with a final glance to the two _shinobi_, he shut the heavy stone door, cutting off the light spilling onto the veranda.

"Tenten, it's me," he repeated softly as she backed into the rampart and slowly rose to her feet, a _kunai_ clutched in shaking hands. "Neji. Your teammate. Your... friend."

Recognition flashed through her eyes, and her lip trembled uncertainly. "Ne...ji?" she whispered, letting the _kunai_ fall to the ground as she ran forward and threw herself at him, burying her face in his chest. "Neji!" Clutching his chest with both hands, she burst into tears.

"It's okay," he murmured, tentatively wrapping his arms around her. She tensed at his touch then melted into him, hot tears soaking into his shirt as she wept. Unable to stop shaking, she pressed herself to him with a pained cry.

"I couldn't... control..." she managed, babbling incoherently. "I couldn't stop myself... Neji, I'm sorry!" Her voice cracked on the last word as she clenched his shirt. "He..."

"It's okay," he could only repeat helplessly, hugging her close. "It's okay."

The most vulnerable he'd ever heard her, she whispered brokenly, "Neji, I'm scared."


	5. Act I, Scene V

**A/N: You guys have no idea how frustrating this chapter was to write. This is the sixth draft and the third setting I've tried to get this result, and I'm still not happy with it. At this point it's just being written so I can move on to the rest of the story before I forget all my plans. This was supposed to be the last scene of Act I, but... well, that's not happening. Scene VI should be the last scene of this act. Act II is the one I'm really looking forward to. We get to start the actual plot in Act II.**

**Sorry for taking so long, everyone. In addition to a severe case of writer's block with this, I also accepted the _Night of Sevens_ challenge off the livejournal community NejiTen_, _which was to complete seven oneshots in two weeks... that took up the rest of my time, and is posted as _Six Days, One Night... _sorry...**

-xXx- _The Revenant Scroll _-xXx-

(Act I, Scene V: _Thou must walk on secret paths..._)

An inexplicable rage burned his blood and quickened his pace as he dashed ahead, leaving his partner behind in an increasing swirl of blinding snow. Neji kept his _Byakugan_ activated, steadily hunting the wavering blue mass of Chakra shimmering in the edges of his vision like a mirage on the horizon, flickering through the white shadows of coniferous trees. "Hurry up!" he snapped roughly without looking back, knowing that her pace was slowing. "Do you want him to get away?"

Tenten flinched and didn't respond. She hadn't spoken a single word since Neji had caught sight of the _daimyo_'s Chakra signature and literally flew from the stone veranda outside the dance hall in furious pursuit. Her _geta_ sandals abandoned on the balcony, she'd followed not from a desire to actually catch the man in question, but so she wouldn't be alone. Her white dress fluttered from the wind of her passage, and her traditional white _tabi_ made not the slightest sound on the thin dusting of snow coating the ground.

As she bit her lip, she began to feel physically ill; whether from shame or actual sickness, she couldn't say. A knot cramped her abdomen and spread tendrils through her body. Suppressed tears constricted her throat, but finally she managed to choke out his name. "Neji..." Leaping forward, she drew even with his frenzied pace. "Neji, wait–"

If he heard her, he didn't acknowledge her; white eyes stared unwaveringly into a point far beyond her vision. If anything, his pace increased as if in an effort to leave her behind.

"Neji, listen to me." With a subtle coiling of her muscles, she sprang into the air and flipped over him to land in his path, shoes scuffling in the snow. "Stop."

Almost reluctantly, he skidded to a halt before her without looking, still pushing the outer limits of his vision to try and keep sight of the rapidly dissipating Chakra signature. "What?" he fairly growled, fists clenching.

"Neji..." Her voice more collected than her internal turmoil, she stared into his far-seeing eyes. "Let him go."

Without intending to, his eyes snapped away from the horizon to glare into hers, and she took a step back from the intensity of his gaze. "_What?_"

"Ichiru–"

"No." Icy determination hissed through his gritted teeth as he spoke, snow flurrying around his feet from the mounting Chakra pressure seeping from his body with his emotions. "This man, this... this _monster_ tried to rape and kill you– kill you or _worse_, and you want me to _let him go?_"

"It's not that–"

His lips thinned at the desperation coloring her voice, and his gaze sharpened as if to pierce her like a blade. "Are you telling me it wasn't rape?"

Snow swirled about them, a thick white blanket muffling the ambient sounds of the forest and cocooning them in their own isolated spot.

Set back on her heels, eyes wide, she could feel tears brimming again. "Is that... what you really think of me?" He might as well have physically stabbed her for the sudden pain in her chest. "You think... I could give myself... that easily?"

"I didn't until I saw you with a man you barely met an hour previous!"

For a strange, surreal moment, she thought she saw pain equal to her own in his eyes, but it vanished quicker than it had appeared. "I don't see why you're accusing me!" she shot back, crossing her arms and blinking rapidly as she turned away. "I just..." Trailing off, she shook her head helplessly. "I don't know what happened!" An involuntary shudder racked her body, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. "Just please, I want to forget about it! We can't do anything to him!"

"Why _the hell_ not?"

"Neji..." Taking one silent step forward, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "We're _shinobi_. Ichiru is the _daimyo_. And we still have a mission to complete."

"As far as I'm concerned, the mission is already complete." Arms crossed, Neji stared mercilessly down at her. "You said it yourself: the murders look like the work of a vampire." He pointed into the distance, where he had last seen Ichiru's Chakra silhouette. "Vampire."

"It's not that easy. You're being remarkably dense for a supposed genius." Before he could refute her statement, Tenten turned on her heel and followed his pointing finger with her eyes. "If Ichiru were behind the murders, why would he hire us? And if you say this was some kind of grand plot orchestrated to capture _me_, I'll stab you right in the throat," she added, deadly serious. "There's something going on here beneath the smiling faces and fancy dinners. Something more important than–" Voice hoarsening, she unconsciously touched the bare skin of her neck and stared blankly into the distance.

With a sudden shake of her head as if to break a spell, she glared resolutely at him. "If you want to chase him, go ahead. It's your waste of time, not mine."

Again, there was that sudden, swiftly repressed flash of pain in his eyes, but she forced herself to ignore it. As she turned on her heel and took a few crunching steps away, he finally spoke, voice sounding as though he were forcing it through a throat of sandpaper. "Tenten..."

"Yes, Neji?" Irritation clear in her voice, she could feel tears building behind her eyes as she stopped. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and let it all slip away. "What do you want me to do, say I'm sorry?"

She could still feel his eyes on her back. "I'm sorry, too," was all he said in response.

Her fists clenched, but she said nothing. She simply leapt into the air and disappeared into the snow-covered trees.


	6. Act I, Scene VI

**A/N: This was actually Scene V for a while... the second of six versions I went through to get to this point, actually, combined with a little bit of version four, combined with some fresh new writing a month or so later.**

-xXx- _The Revenant Scroll_ -xXx-

(Act I, Scene VI: _...to protect this one thing._)

Hot water poured down her back and reddened her tender skin as steam condensed slowly on the tiles. The light was just dim enough to only let the barest silhouette of her body show through the shower curtain. Water pooled in the bottom of the shower and slowly bled through the drain as she stood motionless, hands pressed over her eyes as if to block out everything that had happened that night. Despite the almost scalding water, she shivered uncontrollably and reached to turn the temperature hotter, warm tears spilling down her face to mix with the water, the salt stinging her swollen lips. Hugging her arms tight around her, Tenten clutched a _kunai_ close to her breasts, unable or unwilling to let it go. The wrapped grip was slowly unraveling from the water and steam as she stood there, motionless but for shaking.

She blinked, but though the water stung her eyes as she uplifted her face to the water, she couldn't close them any more than she could stop her tears from flowing or her body from shaking. Dragging in deep, shuddering breaths, she yanked her face from the water and blinked rapidly. "Damn it!" Forcibly pulling her arm from her body, she slammed her fist against the tile and almost screamed at the pain that erupted along the soft knife-edge of her hand, redoubling her tears; not from pain, but from simple frustration. She drew her hand back in, ignoring the insignificant chip of tile that plummeted to the ground and floated in the water before being sucked in the drain with a gurgle, staring emotionlessly at the long crack she'd shattered in the tile.

Sniffing mightily, she wiped her nose, biting her lip as fresh shudders racked through her body and fresh tears spilled from her eyes. A tiny drop of blood dribbled from her lip and skidded down her body to mix with the pounding water. Tenten ran her thumb along the wound and stared blankly into the little drop before opening her hand to let the water gently wash it away.

Taking one deep breath in, she closed her eyes and finally reached out, shutting off the water and listening to it bubble softly as it went down the drain. A slight shuffle scraped against the tile, and her eyes flew open to see Ichiru's widely grinning face, grey smoke swirling through the entire shower. Breath caught in her throat, frozen for the briefest of moments, she shrieked and hurled the _kunai_ with all her strength, stumbling backward through the shower curtain to fall hard over the lip of the shower, eyes wide as the visage dissipated again, leaving only the _kunai_ embedded deep in the crack and shivering from the impact.

Slowly picking herself up from the cold floor, without turning around or removing her gaze from the quivering _kunai_, Tenten reached behind her for a towel and wrapped it around her with trembling hands. Unable to tell if it had really been him or a figment of her imagination, she grabbed her dress, in her haste only zipping it partway up and leaving her feet bare. She grabbed the key to her room and quickly locked it behind her with shaking hands, holding her shoes in one hand and a _kunai _in the other.

Padding silently down the hall, she broke into a full-out sprint, dashing down the stairs two at a time, eyes blurring with tears as she fled her room. Her bare feet quickly numbed under the constant pounding and the chill of the granite, and she stumbled more than once on her way up the stairs to the Western Tower, but she wouldn't stop to put her shoes on– she'd make too much noise, and Ichiru would be able to find her. The white dress fluttered behind her and lent her the form of an ethereal spirit. Her breath came in frenzied gasps as she flew down the corridor and knocked frantically on Neji's door. Heart pounding in her ears, she kept glancing over her shoulder as she grasped the doorknob. "Neji, it's me; please open the door!" she pleaded in a hoarse whisper. "Neji!"

She didn't hear him cross the room; he must have already been standing beside the door when he jerked it open. Stumbling at the sudden lack of obstacle, she nearly fell only to find herself held by his arms. "What is it?" he demanded, grasping her biceps and studying her face. "What's wrong?" With one hand, he touched her still-sopping hair and frowned.

Using her foot, she closed the door behind her and turned away. How could see look him in the eye after what had happened? "I... I..." Clearing her throat, she roughly pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't want to stay in that room anymore."

"Ah," he said neutrally.

Rubbing her bare foot against the deep purple rug in his room, she could feel his eyes on her back, but she didn't turn to acknowledge his gaze. Silence stretched between them, filling the room like a heavy fog. Ambient sounds echoed resoundingly from the bare stone walls; the slight rustle of the gauzy crimson curtains from a draft beneath the window, the steady beat of a clock slowly ticking away the seconds, the crackle of the small fire in the fireplace, the near-silent shuffle of her feet against the carpet as she moved forward to kneel before the fireplace and extend her hands.

"Tenten... what happened to you?" Neji knelt behind her and carefully laid a hand on her shoulder, taking in her chilled skin and dirty bare feet. Her loose hair dripped water down her mostly bare back to soak into the half-zipped dress. "I've never seen you like this before."

She flinched at his touch and bit her lip as tears welled again. "Please... don't ask me that," she whispered. "I want to forget it. Please."

"Okay." Leaning back on his heels, Neji studied her body language; the tense set of her muscles, the slightly hunched nature of her position, her crossed arms... all pointed to a desire to hide.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you in the forest," she murmured.

"No, I should apologize. My comments were out of line."

"You were right, though."

He stiffened and inhaled sharply. "What?"

Without looking back, she kept her hands close to the fire. Its swirling flames reflected off the tears shining in her eyes, and she sniffed loudly to keep them from falling. "You were right... it wasn't rape," she whispered. "I wanted it. I didn't think I was like that, but..." No matter how hard she tried, the tears came. Her shaking intensified, but she didn't stop speaking. "I'm afraid, Neji."

"Of Ichiru?"

"Of _myself_."

A roiling mixture of emotions swirling beneath his emotionless façade, Neji was for one of the few times in his life at a loss for words. "Tenten," he said finally, resting both hands on her shoulders. "Tenten, look at me."

Her shoulders hunched, and she laughed weakly. "Neji, I can't even look myself in the eye. How am I supposed to look at you– someone I truly care about?"

"Tenten." His gentle voice allowed no argument as he squeezed her shoulders. "Look at me."

Her fists clenched on her thighs, but she turned and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the carpet beside his knees. Silently, she raised one hand to roughly rub away the tears spilling down her face through her eyelids, wrapping the other arm tightly around her breasts as her strapless dress threatened to fall.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked softly, eyes flicking to study her body as he tried to glean some nonverbal cues from her kinesics.

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. Drawing in a deep, shuddering breath, she opened her eyes and met his for a long second before jerking her gaze away.

"Is it that you think I'll judge you?"

"I don't think," she replied hoarsely, closing her eyes again. "I know."

"Tenten..." He lunged forward and grabbed her shoulders. Her eyes flew open in sudden fear, but he pulled her to him and enveloped her in a hug. "Tenten, I could never judge you."

Her body stiffened at the sudden contact, and she stared up into his eyes, studying his face and eyes for something, any hint of duplicity. "How can you say that after...?" she whispered, eyes wide and confused.

"I know you better than that," he answered softly, brushing a strand of wet hair away from her face. Trailing one hand down her bare skin to the small of her back, he pulled her close. "Nothing you could do could push me away, even if you wanted to."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Why?"

In response, he tilted his head and whispered, "Because I think I love you."

Her eyes flew open again, but before she could say anything, he jabbed his fingers into the vegas nerve in her neck. Tenten sagged in his arms, eyes fluttering shut against her will as she lapsed into unconsciousness. Cradling her limp body gently, Neji bent over her and closed his eyes, lingering over her lips before reluctantly pulling away without doing anything. He inhaled deeply and glanced at the clock over the fireplace.

Twelve hours. He stroked her forehead and exhaled slowly, feeling Chakra beginning to build in his palms. Tenten's eyes squeezed tightly shut as she grimaced, then her face smoothed and she fell into a deeper, untroubled sleep.

Neji leaned back on his heels and sighed, covering his eyes with his hand and questioning his motives. When she awoke, she would have no memory of the past twelve hours; they weren't erased completely, just repressed.

The most important thing was the mission. Neither could allow personal feelings to get in the way.


	7. Act I, Scene VII

-xXx- _The Revenant Scroll _-xXx-

(Act I, Scene VII: _Wilt thou dance with the devil?_)

A cool draft wafting across her face slowly brought Tenten from a deep sleep. Groggily lifting her head from the silken pillow, she squinted in the bright crimson haze shining through the thick velvet curtains moving slowly with the breeze. For a moment she simply sat there and frowned thoughtfully, glancing around the room. It was Neji's, she knew that much, but she had no memory of coming here. As she pulled off the covers and rolled off the bed, she touched the hem of her white dress and frowned harder.

"Neji?" she called, rubbing her eyes and approaching the wide glass door barely visible behind the curtains.

"Out here."

Tenten pushed the curtains aside and shivered, wrapping her bare arms around her, her bare feet smarting at the sudden chill of the stone balcony as she ventured out. "Neji, I'm going to ask you something odd..."

From his leaning position against the thick stone railing, Neji looked at her. It might have been a trick of the light, the sun dazzling her vision as it shone off the pure white snow, but she almost thought she could see a guarded blankness fall over his eyes. "Neji, why am I here?"

"What do you mean?" He crossed his arms and resumed his impassive study of the castle grounds.

"The last thing I remember is preparing for the ball with the servant girls." Tenten wrapped her arms tighter around her as the wind scattered a few flakes of snow and moved forward to stand beside him.

"That is odd." One shoulder rose and fell in a disinterested shrug. "The feast was uneventful. We returned here to examine blueprints of the keep. You fell asleep."

"Then why can't I remember anything?" With a yawn, she pushed off the railing and turned to head back into the room.

"I went and retrieved your equipment from your room," he mentioned without turning. "Don't take too long; I want to see if there have been any more murders since last night."

"Okay, okay. Can't we eat first?" Ignoring his snort of derision, she pushed the curtains aside and reentered the room. Padding across the soft carpet, she pulled her clothes and weapons from the pile set neatly beside the door and moved into the bathroom. As she ran the water in the old-fashioned sink and stripped off her dress and soiled underwear, she glanced into the mirror and froze. Tilting her head in puzzlement, she studied a splotch of bruise against her neck. Pressing two fingers to it gently, her eyes narrowed. She had no memory of receiving such a wound like this, either. Her lips twitched uncomfortably as she felt her blood pulse beneath her fingertips as she glanced down at the dress, discarded in a corner of the bathroom. For some inexplicable reason, the mere sight of the delicate silk filled her with revulsion.

Disregarding the feeling, she cupped her hands under the warm water and splashed her face, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Dressing before the mirror, she adjusted the clasp over her breast and winced at a tender soreness. Her lips twisted again, and she leaned against the sink to look herself in the eye and study herself carefully. "What can't you remember?" she asked herself softly. Resolving to more thoroughly interrogate Neji, she shut of the water with her wrist and dried her hands on a nearby towel.

"Tenten, get out here!"

She jumped at his harsh whisper and hurriedly slipped on her shoes. "What?" Skidding against the stone, she stopped short as he clapped his hand over her mouth and pointed.

"Look," he murmured in her ear, jerking his chin. Far below, a black-robed figure was slowly making his way across the courtyard.

Tenten tilted her head to the side and frowned. "Is it just me, or..."

"No footprints," he finished, planting both hands on the rail and staring harder, analyzing the figure's stride and sure movements as it walked. He sucked in a breath and in response to Tenten's questioning glance growled, "It's the _daimyo_."

"How do you–"

"I saw him last night." Without looking at her, his gaze sharpened, barely disguised rage dancing behind his normally impassive eyes. "That's the way he walks."

"Neji..." Concerned, Tenten laid a hand on his arm and frowned at him. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I think he's our murderer."

"That's ridiculous. He's the one who _hired_ us."

"I know that," he all but snarled, finally turning to face her. "But I saw him–" Literally biting his tongue, he spun to watch the figure disappear into the trees surrounding the keep.

"Saw him what?"

He could feel her brown eyes staring into him, huge brown orbs filled with suspicions and questions. "I saw him..." Gritting his teeth, Neji clenched his fists and activated his _Byakugan_ to observe the wire-frame silhouette of Ichiru's form continue to walk. "I saw him with the fangs of a vampire about the bite... someone." He tore his gaze from her and planted both hands on the balcony as the black-robed figure disappeared into the trees surrounding the keep and pushed off, landing easily on his hands and feet in the snow below.

Removing her fingers from their instinctive position over her mouth, she leapt down to join him. "What... but..."

"You said it yourself– the supernatural seemed to be involved." His _Byakugan_ eyes never wavered. "I'm going after him." Breaking into a run, he jumped into the snow-covered treetops and ran along the branches, Tenten following.

As they ran, the chilled morning air caressing their faces, Tenten could feel her heart pounding in the old familiar thrill of the chase. This was simple, this was easy. The logistics of what they would do upon catching their client were pushed to the back of the mind. There were no politics involved in the hunt. She sprung off a branch, scattering snow to the ground. This was to be a _shinobi_. This was how–

Wordlessly, Neji held up one hand and she landed abruptly on a branch behind him. "He's meeting with... something. No, fighting."

"As our client, shouldn't we–?"

"No."

She flinched at his harshness. "But the mission–"

"No." His voice was firm. "We'll approach cautiously and observe. That's all." Neji continued forward slowly. "It looks like the same creature we fought the day before yesterday."

"Really?" As they neared, the unearthly shriek of the blood monster could be heard reverberating through the air. In an unconscious act of security, Tenten pulled a _kunai_ from her _shuriken_ holster and gripped it tightly in one hand. "Did we ever find out what that was?"

Neji shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips, slowing to a stop. Visible before them through the needles of the evergreen trees stood the black-robed figure, standing completely at ease before a mass of blood undulating slowly back and forth like a cobra.

Resting a hand on his shoulder for support, Tenten leaned over him and peered through the branches for a closer look. "I thought you said they were fighting," she murmured in his ear.

"They were."

On the ground in front of the figure's feet lay a scroll, open and smoking softly. Its grey tendrils of smoke drifted upward in eerie synchronicity with the swaying of the creature before it, its inky symbols covering the paper shifting and flowing as if alive themselves.

Pressing forward further, Tenten inadvertently brushed another branch, sending a pile of snow cascading to the ground. As the slushy mass impacted, several things happened at once.

The scroll snapped shut as if closed by invisible hands, and the blood monster lunged forward. "_Daimyo-dono!_" Tenten yelled, leaping ahead to slice through it with her _kunai_ and letting it splatter in equal halves on either side of the cloaked figure.

"Dammit!" Neji swore and jumped to stand beside her, his attention torn from the monster coagulating together as the figure began to flee. "Stop!" Dashing ahead, he fell into his stance and readied his hands as the figure skidded to a halt.

"Ah, _shinobi-sama_, we meet again," Ichiru's smooth voice flowed from beneath the mask, only slightly muffled by the cloth. "A pity we cannot engage in fierce combat, but I detest it so. Farewell."

Neji leapt back with a hoarse cry of shock as wings burst from the _daimyo_'s shoulder blades, wings so black as to make his cloak seem grey in comparison. With a mellow chuckle, Ichiru drifted into the air, swooping to snatch the scroll from the ground. Tenten screamed as he brushed past her and hurled her _kunai_ by reflex. Whirling to avoid her attack, Ichiru only laughed.

"Ah, Tenten-_san_, you are truly a wondrous sight!" he called as the blood creature took advantage of her sudden inattention and engulfed her feet.

"You bastard!" Fumbling for _shuriken_, Neji lined up on the blood monster then changed his mind, hurling the _shuriken_ at Ichiru. "Tenten, hold on!"

With another contemptuous laugh, Ichiru dove to avoid the weapons as Tenten's horrified scream pierced the wood. The blood flowed up her body beneath her clothes, paralyzing every muscle it touched. Shooting her arms up to keep them from being frozen she shrieked, "Neji!"

A guttural yell burst from his lungs, and Neji leapt up against a tree, focusing his Chakra to hang perpendicular to the ground. Inhaling deeply, he expelled it in a rush and flew into the air, latching onto one of Ichiru's leathery black wings as he flew by.

Ichiru shrieked, a sound eerily similar to the cry of the blood creature. Like before, he began to dissipate into grey smoke. "Damn you," he spat.

Neji only grinned as he began to plummet, reaching for the only material thing still floating in the air.

The scroll.

Ichiru shrieked again and grabbed for it, but Neji snatched it from his immaterial grasp and flung it to the ground. "Tenten!"

The majority of her body paralyzed by the sickening creep of the viscous fluid, she glanced up and managed to catch the falling scroll. Ripping it open with the desperation born of absolute terror, her eyes fell upon the symbols, and they began to move.

Ichiru hissed and disappeared. Neji hit the ground with a thud and curled up reflexively, gasping for breath. Forcing his body to move, he froze at the sight before him.

A low hum was building in the air, reverberating through his entire body like someone had plucked at the strings of his heart as if it were a harp. Tenten held the scroll in both hands, eyes staring at it but her blank gaze saw nothing. Her mouth moved as gibberish spilled from her lips, a low chant only building the strange energy in the air, melting the snow beneath her feet. Beneath her clothes the blood monster vibrated as her vocal cords forced past its strange paralytic attack around her neck. The air itself was growing heavy from the energy, a Chakra of a strange flavor using Tenten's own energy as a conduit to the world. Neji could feel it on his lungs and eyeballs as if his organs would burst from the pressure, but he didn't close his eyes, focusing his _Byakugan_ in an attempt to understand.

Shimmering ebony waves of Chakra pulsed from her body in time with the low chant slowly building to a crescendo. Screaming the final syllable, she flung the scroll to the ground in a motion guided by instinct. Her cry mingled with the shriek of the blood creature, and it exploded, splattering her body with the blood.

As the scroll hit the ground, it curled up by itself, and she fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Blood soaked through her clothes, covering every centimeter of her body where the monster had been, crimson dripping onto the slushy snow beneath her.

"Tenten!" Neji forced himself over and crawled to her, shakily raising himself to her level as his heart thudded painfully in his ears, trying to adjust to the suddenly empty air. "Tenten, are you alright? What happened?"

Blankly, she shook her head, eyes falling upon the scroll lying in the mush. She stood shakily and ventured over, kneeling to pick it up from the ground.

"Tenten, put that down!"

She jerked back at his command and instinctively pulled it close. "Why should I?"

"Do you have any idea what just happened?" Neji pulled himself to his feet and moved closer to her. "Tenten, as soon as you opened that your Chakra was beginning to merge with someone– or _something_– else's."

"Nonsense. It's just a weapon." Her fingers closed over the paper possessively as she stared at him. "It will be useful if we encounter any more of those monsters."

"Tenten, that weapon could _kill_ you." Neji reached out to take it, but she stepped back and shook her head.

"Weapons don't kill people, Neji. People kill people." In utter seriousness, she slipped the scroll into her hip pouch. "Come on, let's go hunt down that monster." She gestured for him to lead, and as he turned his back, he felt a strange whisper of ebony.

He spun on his heel, dread rising in his throat.

Tenten was gone.

–_End Act I–_

**A/N: You guys have no idea how excited I am to start work on Act II.... well, my reviewers might have some idea, because I've told most of them so in my replies. XD I wrote everything but the last few paragraphs of this chapter in my notebook during Wellness class... you might be able to tell from the style; it's not as wordy because my hands don't move as fast as my thoughts and I end up losing detail as I rush to keep a scene flowing. That, and I'm just plain lazy and don't like to put the effort into moving the pen whenever I change my mind about every other word! I haven't done strictly notebook-writing in a long time... It's kind of an odd feeling.**

**Again, apologies for the long wait. As I told my reviewers, I'm utterly swamped at the moment... I could just upload crap, but I wouldn't do that to you guys. If you're going to put the effort into reading this, I'm sure as hell going to keep trying to produce quality work... or at least what I think is quality.**

**Thanks to my 10(!) reviewers: **_Under a Rain Cloud__**, **__Nothingbutblue__**, **__JanuaryFriend__**, **__C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only__**, **__sophia666__**, **__weaponmistressbunny__**, **__MercilessRuby__**, **__iAtRI__**, **__jadedsiren__**, **_**and **_.debi.09._**. Thanks so much; you guys keep me writing!**


	8. Act II, Scene I

**A/N: This chapter was extremely enjoyable to write... everything just kind of flowed well and became what you see now with minimal revisions. Can anybody say "turning point"?**

-xXx- _The Revenant Scroll_ -xXx-

(Act II, Scene I: _"Forbidden gates yawn open..._)

Rapid footsteps clacked loudly against the hard stone. Servants turned at the sound only to catch a glimpse of a sprinting white-robed figure disappearing further down the hall. Tapestries fluttered and candles guttered at his passage. He skidded to a stop before a heavy wooden door and yanked it open. "Haeru'Darisu!" Neji stalked into the younger man's room and ripped the heavy blankets from the bed.

It was empty. Neji whirled around to see Taro emerge from the bathroom, wiping his hands with a towel. "Neji_-sama_," he greeted with no small amount of surprise, turning to throw the thick towel back into the bathroom.

The next moment he was suspended by his shirt collar several centimeters above the floor, his back to the wall. "Wha–?!"

"Where is she?" Neji cut him off roughly, nearly nose to nose with the unfortunate boy. "Where has he taken Tenten?"

"What?" Taro coughed and slapped at Neji's arms. "Unhand me, rogue!"

As Neji dropped him unceremoniously to the ground, Taro shakily smoothed his robes, assuming the voice of command one would expect from a prince. "What are you talking about? Speak plainly!"

"Your brother is a vampire, and he's taken Tenten somewhere." Shoving his hands in his pockets, Neji paced the room without apology. "Where is he?"

"You assume that mine brother shares such information with me?"

Neji wheeled on him, suspicion coloring his voice. "You're taking this extremely calmly."

"Shall I cower in fear at thy realization? Shall I express disbelief at a secret passed down in mine family for generation after generation?" Taro rose to his feet and fixed his white shirt. "I had always suspected, but I could never confirm. This sparrow's wings are constantly buffeted by the winds of filial and sibling relations, yet he still attempts flight alone!"

"Then tell me about the scroll we stole from him."

Taro froze. "Scroll?"

"Yes. We used it to defeat a creature made of Chakra-infused blood." In terse words, Neji described their encounter with the creature and the results of their brief skirmish with Ichiru.

Face growing longer with each word, Taro nodded several times but didn't interrupt, listening carefully until Neji was finished. "Aye, the scroll..." he whispered, steepling his fingers and pressing them to his lips. "Aye, now all becomes clear..."

"What do you mean?" Neji stopped his pacing and stared hard at the young man.

As if coming to a sudden decision, Taro abruptly rose to his feet and opened a desk drawer, shoving aside pieces of parchment. Ink bottles clattered against each other as he pulled various writing instruments from the drawer, discarding them on the floor until it lay empty. Gingerly, he lifted a false compartment in the bottom and removed a rusty key ring. "Come with me," was all he said grimly.

Neji followed him from the room and down several corridors. Stopping before an unadorned wooden door, Taro reached up and removed a torch. Lighting it from a piece of flint scraped against the wall, he unlocked the door and silently beckoned for Neji to follow.

Taro unlocked several doors with the rusty keys, each of which led to a steep, winding stairwell and long, empty halls. On his way down, Neji noted the construction was that in reverse of most older castles; indeed, it was reversed from the rest of the keep he'd been in previously. Most winding stairwells were built so that if an invading army were to ascend them, their sword arms would be cramped by the inner wall, while the defending force would have their hands free; in essence, the stairs wound to the right. These hidden stairs wound to the left... as if not so much to defend an army coming from the bottom up, but from the top down.

"Down here is what you seek." Without hesitation, Taro unlocked the final door. The heavy wood scraped against the stone it was set upon, but the hinges made not the slightest sound. Swinging ponderously open, it waited, yawning yet more stairs before them.

Neji moved to stand before him at the head of the stairs, staring down. These were not curved like the rest, but instead extended straight down before them. Barely visible at the bottom was the flickering light of another torch. "Let's go."

"Aye," Taro whispered, adjusting his grip on the torch. "Oblivion has accepted our welcome." Swinging the torch like a bat, a sharp _thunk_ resounded through the empty corridor.

Without a sound, Neji crumpled to the ground. Taro dropped the torch and rolled him over, opening his eyelids forcibly and staring into the unseeing white eyes. "Alas, I apologize, friend," he murmured, laying his head on Neji's chest to hear the sound of his heartbeat. "This is how it must be."

Grabbing his limp body under both arms, Taro dragged him to the head of the stairs and pushed him down. Limbs flailing like a rag doll, Neji landed in a heap at the bottom. Running down the stairs, the young man shook his ebony hair from his eyes and grabbed Neji's arms again, dragging him into the room where Ichiru sat before a heavy wooden desk, studying several aged manuscripts by the light of a handful of torches scattered around the room. The walls were lined with books, their yellowed pages all but spilling out. A long table stood alone in the center, and many, many doors lined the only shelf-less wall.

"Little brother?" The _daimyo_ dropped the piece of parchment he was examining and stood, stalking over with green eyes wide. "What have you done, you fool?!" Spit flew from his lips as he shoved Taro back and knelt at the body with a flourish, black robes flying around him.

"I want you to use him," Taro announced as Ichiru rolled the body over so he could see its face. "Release the lady ninja and take him instead."

"Fool!" In one smooth motion Ichiru stood and backhanded the younger man across the face, eyes flashing with rage. Taro stumbled back, hands pressed to his cheek in shock. "What have you done?"

"He's not dead!" Eyes wide in confusion, Taro pointed. "You need a live body for the ritual."

"What ritual are you talking about?" Ichiru raised his hand as if to hit him again. "I am doing nothing of the sort! I don't _have_ Tenten, you fool!"

Taro froze, mouth moving silently for a moment. "W...what?" he managed finally. "Then what...?"

"_She_ used the scroll." Voice bitter, Ichiru pulled away and slapped his hand against the desk, jarring a few loose sheets of parchment. "We are soon to have war on our hands, little brother." He dropped heavily into the chair before the desk, resting his head in his hands. "Lay him on the table," he said finally. "Gently. He may be one of our last hopes now."

Shoulders slumped, Taro stood motionless. "All I wanted..." he murmured quietly, ducking his head so his hair fell over his eyes, "was to have my brother back. I don't like what you've become. That's all I wanted."

Ichiru didn't answer.

The younger boy hefted Neji's body on the table and stared at morosely. "I'm sorry, friend," he muttered though none could hear. Taro awkwardly crossed the room and sat clutching his knees to his chest at the very edge of the torchlight, the flickering flame casting his face half in shadow so that all could be seen were his emerald eyes, glimmering with unshed tears.

The same shade of striking green poured relentlessly over parchment after parchment as Ichiru discarded first one, then another and another until in a fit of frustration he swept the entire pile to the floor. Papers fluttered and settled quietly on the floor. The young _daimyo_ of the Land of Wood turned in his chair and examined the shelves surrounding him, gnawing restlessly at the base knuckle of his thumb. Coming to a decision, he rose to his feet and approached one of the shelves opposite the table where Taro had laid Neji's body, hand outstretched to remove a tightly bound leather volume.

The torch guttered and went out. Ichiru froze and turned slowly in a complete circle, green eyes ponderously shifting to red as his eyesight adjusted. Wisps of ebony darker than the lightless air drifted slowly through the room.

"Ichiru?"

"Silence!" he hissed as Taro's voice broke through the heavy silence and cut the air with his hand to emphasize. His mouth throbbed painfully as he spoke, the ebony tendrils and darkness arousing the instinct within him like a sexual pleasure. The moon was nearly dark, and though it was still midday he could sense its invisible presence above, its power filtering into his veins. His breath quickened as he scented blood, and he groaned at the feeling. "Get out of here!" he whispered roughly. "Taro, get _out!_"

"But–!"

"Listen to me, little brother!" Ichiru's voice rasped like gravel as he glared in his direction. "I don't want you under my curse. You still have your innocence! _Get out!_" Fighting his instinct, he raised his hand to his mouth, grimacing as his fangs sank deeply into his flesh where thumb met palm. He waited until he heard Taro's footsteps scrambling up the stairs and the door slam shut behind him before wrenching his hand free and greedily running his tongue along the blood that trickled slowly from the deep puncture wounds.

"So sad the state you've succumbed to," a mocking female voice penetrated the room. A heart wrenching, sickeningly familiar presence materialized, and Ichiru whirled.

"Takada-_sama_." Allowing himself one final leisurely lick, Ichiru let his hand drop and dipped into a low bow before the ebony silhouette he could perceive before him, clad in a thin, flowing dress. "You come as sudden as the wind and as unwanted as the snow."

Without response, he heard her cross the room and felt more than saw her raise her hand to the torch. A whispered word from her, and it reignited brighter than before. The quick flare illuminated the scene, and Ichiru's breath caught in his throat.

A smug smile crossing her face, Tenten stepped forward and returned his bow. "Ichiru. This body has some... interesting memories of you."

"What can I say, my lady? You've chosen a beautiful host this time around." His blood trickled slowly to the floor, but with difficulty he ignored it and smiled ingratiatingly. "Much better than your previous form. Almost irresistible."

"Almost?" she echoed, raising a slender eyebrow.

He bowed again. "You are the one wearing it. Something... used... always has less value."

Tenten laughed, a deep, mellow chuckle her vocal cords could never have managed normally. One of her eyes flashed golden in sharp contrast to the chocolate brown of the other as she faced him fully. "You amuse me, Ichiru." Her white dress swirled around her bare feet as she approached him with small, deceptively delicate steps until they were mere centimeters apart. Slowly, she took his sluggishly bleeding hand and raised it to her mouth; closing her eyes, she licked the crimson fluid from his skin. Exhaling deeply, Tenten moaned and sucked the last droplet of blood from his fingertips before letting his hand fall to his side. Lips painted red, she sucked thoughtfully on her lower lip.

"You've only been feeding on livestock." Disappointment was clear in her voice as she pouted with childlike displeasure. "And corpses. How repugnant. Did you at least kill them yourself?"

"Oh no, Takada-_sama_... I leave the killing to you."

"You've been feeding on _my_ prey?" Tenten wiped her lips and spat at his feet. "You've sunk low, Ichiru."

"Waste not." His fangs gleamed in his grin.

She sniffed and took a step back, reaching into her dress and pulling from beneath its cut a simple scroll, its outer surface caked in a dark brown stain Ichiru easily recognized as dried blood. "Regardless of your actions, the scroll is now mine."

"I can tell. You're not just an old hag who would look half-dead even were she not."

Tenten bared her teeth and hissed. "I shall take what is rightfully mine!" she shrieked, voice shrill for only a moment before calming. "With this body I have more power than even you could dream of."

"Takada-_sama_, you know nothing of my dreams." Ichiru's eyes flashed, and he swooped forward in one swift motion to seize her lips with his own, tasting his own blood. Even as his lips caressed her skin, she disappeared into smoke and ash.

"Farewell, Ichiru!" her voice echoed weirdly as the torch flickered as if it might go out. "The next time we meet, it shall not be as civil!"

"Indeed not." Distaste colored his voice as he shook the last drops of blood from his fingertips, surveying the space she'd recently vacated with a sort of wistful melancholy. Pulling a red silk handkerchief from his pocket, Ichiru bound his hand and pulled the knot tight with his teeth, no longer fangs but now the simple teeth of an ordinary human.

Cold steel whispered across his throat, and he sucked in a breath as the _kunai_ caressed his skin. Turning as far around as he dared, feeling the blade scrape his neck, he saw ivory eyes glaring colder than the winter wind outside. "Neji-_san_," he greeted cautiously, dropping his hand to his side.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you." Standing warily as far away as possible, Neji stood easily behind him, grip tightening on the _kunai_.

Ichiru raised his hand as if to push the blade away, but hesitated as his grip tightened further warningly. "How long have you been consciousness?"

"Long enough," he growled, eyes flashing. "What have you done to her?"

"Your beautiful partner?" Ichiru breathed in calmly and exhaled. "Unfortunately, I did nothing to her. Nay, I'm afraid that you and she have become embroiled in something that I had intended to avoid."

"Explain." Cautiously Neji pulled the knife away and spun him around so he could see his face. "I will know if you lie, so save us both the trouble."

"My little brother." Ichiru nodded at the stairs leading to the level above. "Shall we send for him? I'd rather not do this twice."

"Go." Following close behind, Neji let him lead the way up the stairs and open the door. Taro sat with his back to the wall before it, a short sword clutched in both hands. He froze at the sight of Neji and hunched his shoulders.

Without a word, Ichiru beckoned. Waiting until they were secure in the room once again, he sat in the chair at the desk and rested his head in his hands, staring blankly into the candle-wax stained mahogany. "My story," he said finally. "My story starts six years ago, when, on my nineteenth birthday, I inherited the lordship of this keep and the entire Land of Wood."

_Tears streamed from emerald eyes and dripped down his cheeks as he clutched the unforgiving stone bust atop the coffin. "Father..." he whispered softly, tracing the graven cheeks and biting his lip. Further down the row of tombs stood the tomb of his mother, buried five years earlier; he glanced at it and finally drew himself up, hearing the sound of echoing footsteps over the soft drip-drip of trickling water falling intermittently to the smooth stone ground._

"_Ichiru-dono." One of his father's advisors approached and inclined his head in a subservient bow. "You are the lord of the keep now. The Land of Wood is yours."_

"_I don't want it!" Gesturing frantically, Ichiru turned away and fisted his tears away. Voice calming, he turned back and returned the other man's bow. "Forgive me."_

"_No, it is I who must apologize for disturbing you in your moment of grief." Again, the advisor bowed, lower than before. "However, there are matters that must be brought to your attention. We need you to assume lordship immediately and make decisions." Voice soft, he added, "The people are depending on you, my lord."_

"I followed him, of course, with no knowledge of what becoming _daimyo_ entitled. That was one of the last times I saw her... Takada-_sama_. We were... lovers, then."

_It was a day of tears for everyone in the keep that day... some for the father, some for the son. Golden eyes rimmed red from crying, a dark-haired maiden dashed forward and buried her face in his chest, clutching the lapels of his black suit. The advisor coughed and moved to stand a polite distance away. Ichiru and Takada's relationship was no secret, yet it was something not discussed in civil company._

"_I don't want you to go with him," she whispered hoarsely, soft enough so that Ichiru was the only one who could hear. "I've heard terrible rumors about what happens upon ascension to lordship! They say they'll turn you into a monster!"_

_Ichiru kissed her softly on the forehead. "Rumors are just that– rumors." He smiled sadly. "You are going to be the Lady of the Land of Wood... the wife of a daimyo. With my position, we can finally–"_

"_I don't care about any of that!" She pulled away angrily. "I just don't want you to change! Tell them you can't! Tell them you want to make Taro your heir, and assign a regent to take charge until then!"_

"_You know I can't do that." Ichiru moved a few steps back, expression chilling. "The people need me. The land is in turmoil; shinobi are thought to have been sighted at the border. It's only a matter of time before we're embroiled in this conflict."_

"_The Ninja War is over! The Land of Wood doesn't even have a hidden village!"_

"_That's why they need me all the more, Takada-sama." He extended his hand. "Please, come with me. You'll see for yourself."_

"I should never have done that. I should never have allowed her to come with me. Then, perhaps, the truth would never have been revealed."

"_This scroll contains the history and the power of the Land of Wood." Reverently, the advisor opened a box carved of dark jade set upon an altar in an otherwise bare room and removed a single scroll. "You will know what to do, Ichiru-dono. It is forbidden for any but the daimyo and his... relations... to view the paper. I shall be right outside." He bowed and left, closing the door behind him._

_Without hesitation, Ichiru pulled open the scroll. Somewhere, somewhere far, far away, Takada screamed._

"I can't remember what I saw. I never can, when I gaze upon that scroll."

_Ichiru opened his eyes with a strange sensation in his mouth, a warm, liquid feeling coating his teeth and dripping down his chin. His stomach muscles clenched, and his breath caught in his throat. He pulled back with a hoarse scream. Takada lay before him– more accurately, Takada's body, throat bitten almost clean through. Disbelievingly, Ichiru raised a hand to his mouth, feeling his canine teeth sharpened to a point._

"_No. No, no, no NO!" Scrambling back on his hands and feet, Ichiru screamed. His vision blurred with sudden tears, and he shook his head frantically as if that would dismiss the illusion before him. He rolled over and retched, gagging on the sweet iron taste of her blood that at once disgusted and thrilled him in a way that made his stomach turn and his own blood boil. "This isn't happening. This isn't real! Get me out of here!"_

_His pleas fell upon deaf ears; sobbing, Ichiru flung himself against the emotionless door. "Taro... get my little brother away from this place!" Turning, he again beheld the sight of his lover, blood draining sluggishly onto the floor, barely trickling now that there was no heart to pump it. Hands trembling, he patted himself down until he pulled from an inner pocket of his suit a small dagger. Clutching the hilt in both hands, through his tear-veiled vision, it looked as though she were merely asleep._

"I wanted to die. At that very moment, all I wanted to do was stab myself in the belly and rip. It is a feeling I wake to... almost every day. There was, and still is, only one thing stopping me. The Land of Wood needed a _daimyo_. And you, little brother, were the next in line."

"_Takada-sama..." Ichiru staggered across the room to her body. "Takada..." Casting his gaze about the featureless room, his eyes lighted upon the scroll sitting calmly atop its altar, impervious to the tragedy unfolding around it. Like a drowning man reaching for a last gasp of air, he snatched it and tore it open._

"All I remember is an overwhelming desire to resurrect her. To bring her back, no matter what the cost. No matter what the consequences. And the scroll... answered."

_Before his eyes, a swirling fog of semi-translucent ebony formed above Takada's body. Motionless, the scroll fell forgotten from his limp hands and rolled up on the floor. Slowly, ponderously, the ebony fluid-gas took on the form of a face, the silhouette of a woman's face. From the depths of the floating mass of shadow, the face lunged at him and screamed._

_Then it disappeared._

_Ichiru rose to his feet and pulled a white silk handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped his mouth and chin, adjusted his suit, and bent to snatch the scroll from the floor. Staring at it for a long while, eventually he wrapped the bloody handkerchief around it and slipped it into his innermost pocket._

"_Advisor?" Voice calm, Ichiru knocked on the heavy stone door and cracked it open, venturing into the adjacent hallway and closing the door tightly behind him. "I am finished."_

_The other man simply bowed. He did not comment on the screams, nor did he ask for Takada._

"There was nothing I could do. I had to live my life in secrecy... the smooth, sophisticated _daimyo_ by day, the unstoppable weapon of nightmares by night." His voice was bitter as Ichiru concluded his narrative. "Takada-_sama_ simply... disappeared. Or so I had thought. The scroll resurrected her, but... she is no longer human. She leaps from body to body as you or I might change outfits."

"Brother..." Taro whispered. His emerald eyes gleamed with unshed tears, but he made no move to brush them away.

Neji harshly jerked them back to the present. "Where do Tenten and I enter into your story?" The torchlight glimmered from his eyes, reflecting them as unmoved and cold.

"I've been researching." Almost a plea, Ichiru finally lifted his head to return Neji's stare. "That thing, that... _revenant_... that is no longer the Takada I loved. She is a mere shadow that hungers for the sensations she enjoyed in life, and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She is pure instinct." Almost subconsciously, he started to raise his hand to his mouth but arrested the motion and returned his hand to his lap, turning in his chair to face the younger man fully.

"I used the _shinobi_ of Konohagakure in an attempt to draw her out, so you could do what I could not." His gaze did not waver. "I intended for you to discover her and lure her to the death I am too craven to release her back to."

A flaming bit of the torch broke free of the bracket and drifted to the floor, extinguishing upon contact.

After a moment's pause, Neji finally spoke. "How would one go about killing her?"

"More easily than killing me, I assure you." Ichiru drew in a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes. "The problem now, Neji-_san_, is how not to kill Tenten in the process."


End file.
